Barbara Buchanan appointed to bench
Governor
C.L. “Butch” Otter announced the appointment
Wednesday of Bonner County Magistrate Barbara
Buchanan to succeed First District Judge Steve
Verby.Judge Verby is transitioning to senior status on the district bench this month.
Buchanan, 54, of Sandpoint, is the first woman appointed to a judgeship in the First Judicial District. She was among four nominees whose names were submitted to Governor Otter by the Idaho Judicial Council.
Buchanan, who has served 18 years as a magistrate, is a Moscow native who received her bachelor’s and law degrees at the University of Idaho. She and her husband Richard have two daughters and a foster daughter.
Judge Buchanan said she looks forward to serving as the only district judge for Bonner and Boundary counties.
“The Idaho court system is in a period of change. We are embarking on an innovative new program to deliver justice more quickly, efficiently and effectively,” she said in applying for the position. “I am excited to be part of that process.”